Playback Issues - Audio/Video & Power

[njl23]

Hello,

i have an issue with my Roku player.  it seems that while i am streaming Sling TV for a few hours it will have to reset itself and go back to the Roku home page.  This is inconvenient espically if i am watching a movie on Sling TV.   So far i have only seen this happen while streaming Sling, because that is all i really use the Roku streaming box for.  i dont have Hulu live so not sure if it does it there also.  

Any advice?

[DBDukes]

"njl23" wrote:
Hello,

i have an issue with my Roku player.  it seems that while i am streaming Sling TV for a few hours it will have to reset itself and go back to the Roku home page.  This is inconvenient espically if i am watching a movie on Sling TV.   So far i have only seen this happen while streaming Sling, because that is all i really use the Roku streaming box for.  i dont have Hulu live so not sure if it does it there also.  

Any advice?

You use the term “reset” which can mean different things. So let’s make sure we understand what you’re saying?.

Does the app simply stop streaming and the home screen appear, much like hitting the shine button on the remote? If so, avoid the term “reset” for now

Does the device reboot, showing the boot up “Roku” screen before going to the Home menu? If so, while reset is a more valid term, let’s say “reboot” for clarity.

Does the device require you to set everything up from scratch? If so, let’s say “factory reset” for clarity.

[njl23]

It would be your first example. It's stops streaming and goes back to the Roku home page. Just as if I was hitting the 'home' button on my remote. It happens on all of my streaming sticks (I have 3, one in each room with a tv)

[basketbuild]

This can happen with a weak WiFi signal, or if it momentarily appears to not be connected to the wireless router. If you can, move the Roku closer to your wireless router. Or, move your wireless router closer to the Roku. You can also try increasing the transmit power in your router, or choosing a channel that's less "crowded" with other signals in the area of your home.

[DBDukes]

"njl23" wrote:
It would be your first example. It's stops streaming and goes back to the Roku home page. Just as if I was hitting the 'home' button on my remote. It happens on all of my streaming sticks (I have 3, one in each room with a tv)

If I now understand things, your situation is that after streaming for several hours in the Sling TV app, the Roku exits the app, returning to the Home screen.

If my understanding is correct, that would be an intentional design, not a flaw. It may not be desired behavior, but it would be how it's designed to work.

Keep in mind that Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and all other streaming devices will attempt to cater to the most common usage scenarios. Most people won't leave an app running (streaming) for a very long period of time. This is actually a feature that helpful for many with data caps. If people fall asleep streaming, or otherwise leave unattended streaming, they can approach or exceed data caps, which many ISPs still have.

It's how it works. Oh, and other apps work the same way, though not all with the same timeout.

[ShannonHH]

Is there any way to customize the length of this timeout?

[atc98092]

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@ShannonHH wrote:

Is there any way to customize the length of this timeout?

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Nope. Hard coded into the OS. 

[HighlanderCFH]

I have the same problem with both of my Express+ players.  Never happened in the past, but it started a couple weeks ago.  

I can start watching any app and, within 30 minutes or so, it will suddenly revert to the home screen.

Both of the players are on wi-fi, but the signal is usually strong. Is there any other issue that can cause this to happen?

[TobyNixon]

I have this same problem watching YouTube TV. If we just let a news program play in the background, maybe watch five straight hours of Star Trek or whatever, after some amount of time (three or four hours, maybe), Roku basically asks "are you still there?". If you don't respond, it goes back to the home screen, and then to the screen saver. If I see the prompt and respond to it, fine, but I don't always see it before it closes the app and goes back to Home. It's annoying. I don't have a data cap, and I'd like to be able to set it to never do this. 

[atc98092 · Accepted solution]

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@TobyNixon wrote:

I have this same problem watching YouTube TV. If we just let a news program play in the background, maybe watch five straight hours of Star Trek or whatever, after some amount of time (three or four hours, maybe), Roku basically asks "are you still there?". If you don't respond, it goes back to the home screen, and then to the screen saver. If I see the prompt and respond to it, fine, but I don't always see it before it closes the app and goes back to Home. It's annoying. I don't have a data cap, and I'd like to be able to set it to never do this. 

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That is the Bandwidth Saver function in the Network settings page. Turn it off and you won't see that any more.